WAGERING GAME APPARATUS AND METHOD TO PROVIDE A TRUSTED GAMING ENVIRONMENT

• US 20100298049A1
• Filed: 10/31/2008
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Summers, Ryan R., Ansari, Marwan, Jaffe, Joel R., Englman, Allon G., Walsh, John, Vann, Jamie, Gelber, Philip B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,262,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/30
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means

Abstract

A method of configuring a wagering game system to provide a trusted gaming environment includes the acts of randomly selecting at least one simulated physical imperfection from a plurality of available simulated physical imperfections to associate with at least one element of a video image output to a wagering game machine video display and associating the selected simulated physical imperfection with at least one element of the video image.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a wagering game system to provide a trusted gaming environment, comprising:

randomly selecting at least one simulated physical imperfection from a plurality of available simulated physical imperfections to associate with at least one element of a video image output to a wagering game machine video display; and

associating the selected simulated physical imperfection with at least one element of the video image.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

saving in a computer readable medium the association of the selected simulated physical imperfection with the at least one element of the video image for subsequent play of a wagering game.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the video images and the associated simulated physical imperfection during a wagering game.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the video image comprises at least one simulated moving element selected from the group consisting of a mechanical reel bearing indicia relating to the wagering game and a mechanical wheel bearing indicia relating to the wagering game.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of available simulated physical imperfections represent different degrees of a single simulated physical imperfection, represent different simulated physical imperfections, or represent different degrees of severity of a plurality of simulated physical imperfections.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the video image the simulated physical imperfection is associated with the at least one moving element, the simulated physical imperfection comprising at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of a faded symbol on the moving element, corrosion on the moving element, a ragged edge of the moving element, a wobble in the movement of the moving element, above average spin duration for the moving element, below average spin duration for the moving element, dim-back lighting of the moving element, mis-positioned lighting of the moving element, differing lighting intensities of different portions of the moving element, a paint chip on the moving element, above average dampening of the movement of the moving element, below average dampening of the movement of the moving element, a simulated dead bug on the moving element, a simulated live bug moving on the moving element, a dirty spot on the moving element, a stain on the moving element, dust on the moving element, discoloration of at least a portion of the moving element, fading of at least a portion of the moving element, a peeling of at least a portion of a layer of the moving element, a scratch on the moving element, and gouge in the moving element.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the simulated physical imperfection is associated with the background video image and comprises at least one simulated physical imperfection selecting from the group consisting of screen burn in, screen misalignment, screen color, screen sharpness, screen balance, screen brightness, and screen magnetic interference.

8. The method of claim 3, the method further comprising:

randomly selecting a different simulated physical imperfection from the plurality of available simulated physical imperfections to associate with the video images subsequent to the acts of saving of the association of the selected simulated physical imperfection with the at least one element of the video image and the displaying of the video images and the associated simulated physical imperfection during a wagering game; and

saving the association of the selected different simulated physical imperfection with the video images in a computer readable medium for subsequent play of a wagering game.

9. The method of claim 8, the method further comprising:

performing the acts of randomly selecting and saving in accord with at least one of a schedule, an occurrence of a predetermined event, a manual input, randomly, a lapse of time, a state of an adjacent wagering game machine, an introduction of a player identifier, or a counter related to a duration of wagering game play for the wagering game machine.

10. A method of configuring a plurality of wagering game machines to provide a trusted gaming environment, comprising:

randomly selecting a simulated physical imperfection from a plurality of available simulated physical imperfections to associate with at least one element of a video image output to a wagering game machine video display;

associating the selected simulated physical imperfection with a video image output to a selected one of the plurality of wagering game machines; and

repeating the acts of randomly selecting a simulated physical imperfection and associating the selected simulated physical imperfection with a video image for each of the plurality of wagering game machines.

11. A method of configuring a gaming machine to provide a trusted gaming environment according to claim 10, further comprising:

displaying the video image and the associated selected simulated physical imperfection on a video display of at least one of the plurality of wagering game machines during a wagering game.

12. A method of configuring a gaming machine to provide a trusted gaming environment according to claim 10, further comprising:

saving the randomly selected simulated physical imperfection in association with a respective one of the plurality of wagering game machines for each of the plurality of wagering game machines.

13. A method of configuring a gaming machine to provide a trusted gaming environment according to claim 10, further comprising:

randomly selecting, from a set of available manifestations of a simulated physical imperfection, a manifestation of the simulated physical imperfection.

14. A method of configuring a gaming machine to provide a trusted gaming environment according to claim 13, further comprising:

saving the randomly selected simulated physical imperfection and the associated manifestation in association with a respective one of the plurality of wagering game machines for each of the plurality of wagering game machines.

15. A method of configuring a gaming machine to provide a trusted gaming environment according to claim 13, further comprising:

randomly selecting another simulated physical imperfection for association with a selected wagering game machine;

determining an acceptability of an additive effect of the randomly selected simulated physical imperfections; and

associating the randomly selected simulated physical imperfection with a video image, for a selected wagering game machine.

repeating the randomly selecting, determining, and associating acts for remaining ones of the plurality of wagering game machines until each of the plurality of wagering game machines is associated with more than one simulated physical imperfection.

16. A method of configuring a gaming machine to provide a trusted gaming environment according to claim 15, further comprising:

repeating the randomly selecting, determining, and associating acts for remaining ones of the plurality of wagering game machines until each of the plurality of wagering game machines is associated with more than one simulated physical imperfection.

17. A method of configuring a gaming machine to provide a trusted gaming environment according to claim 13, further comprising:

selecting, for at least one of the plurality of wagering game machines, another simulated physical imperfection from a plurality of available simulated physical imperfections to associate with at least one element of a video image output to a wagering game machine video display;

associating the selected another simulated physical imperfection with a video image output to a selected one of the plurality of wagering game machines.

18. A method of configuring a wagering game machine to provide a trusted gaming environment, comprising:

selecting an audio signature corresponding to a predetermined simulated physical imperfection of a simulated moving element from a plurality of available audio signatures; and

associating the selected audio signature with video image data comprising video images for a simulated moving element.

19. The method of configuring a wagering game machine to provide a trusted gaming environment according to claim 18, further comprising:

displaying a movement of the simulated moving element on the wagering game terminal video display; and

outputting from a speaker the selected audio signature so as to audibly attribute the simulated physical imperfection to the simulated moving element.

20. The method of configuring a wagering game machine to provide a trusted gaming environment according to claim 18, further comprising:

saving in a computer readable medium the association of the selected audio signature with the video image data for subsequent play of a wagering game.

21. The method of configuring a wagering game machine to provide a trusted gaming environment according to claim 20, the method further comprising:

selecting another audio signature corresponding to the same or another predetermined simulated physical imperfection from a plurality of available audio signatures to supplement or replace the previously selected audio signature;

associating the another selected audio signature with video image data comprising video images for the same simulated moving element or for another simulated moving element; and

saving in a computer readable medium the association of the selected another audio signature with the video image data for subsequent play of a wagering game.

22. A gaming system configured to provide a trusted gaming environment for wagering games, comprising:

a controller configured to conduct a wagering game and to render simulated mechanical reels within the wagering game in 3-D, the simulated mechanical reels displaying images indicating a randomly selected outcome of the wagering game; and

at least one memory bearing executable instructions configured to render, on a video display of a wagering game machine, simulated mechanical reels within the wagering game and to randomly introduce at least one randomly selected simulated physical imperfection to the simulated mechanical reels.

23. A gaming system configured to provide a trusted gaming environment for wagering games for a plurality of linked wagering game machines, comprising:

a plurality of wagering game machines, each of the plurality of wagering game machines comprising a housing, a video display, and an audio system;

at least one controller configured to conduct a wagering game on each of the plurality of wagering game machines and to render at least one simulated mechanical element in 3-D within wagering games conducted on the plurality of wagering game machines, the simulated mechanical element displaying images indicating a randomly selected outcome of the wagering game;

a memory bearing an executable instruction set configured, for each of the plurality of wagering game machines, to display a background screen and to render a simulated mechanical element within the wagering game in 3-D and to introduce at least one randomly determined simulated physical imperfection to the simulated mechanical element of each of the plurality of wagering game machines.

24. A gaming system configured to provide a trusted gaming environment for wagering games according to claim 23, wherein the controller is configured to change an assigned severity level for the simulated physical imperfection for each wagering game machine in accord with at least one of a schedule, an occurrence of a predetermined event, a manual input, randomly, a lapse of time, a state of an adjacent wagering game machine, an introduction of a player identifier, or a counter related to a duration of wagering game play.

25. A gaming system configured to provide a trusted gaming environment for wagering games according to claim 23, wherein the controller is configured to track wagering inputs to each of the plurality of wagering game machines over a predetermined period of time and, responsive to the tracked wagering inputs, is configured to change at least one of a simulated physical imperfection or severity level for the simulated physical imperfection assigned to a wagering game machine to at least substantially correspond to a combination of simulated physical imperfection and severity level for the simulated physical imperfection of another of one of the wagering game machines having higher wagering inputs.